After two seasons, Quakes aim for playoffs

EARTHQUAKES PREVIEW

Published 4:00 am, Friday, March 26, 2010

In their first two years since re-emerging as a Major League Soccer franchise, the San Jose Earthquakes haven't been able to get their offensive and defensive mojos together for sustained periods.

In 2008 their defense was sound, but they scored a league-low 32 goals. Last year they scored a few more goals but gave up a league-high 50. They failed to make the playoffs either year.

Now everybody's getting antsy for a playoff push, and that goes for the players, coaches and front office as well as the fans, who were used to excellence in the franchise's previous incarnation.

Coach Frank Yallop acknowledges it's a make-or-break year for him, even though his contract runs through next year.

"I don't want to have another poor season because it reflects on me as a coach," he said.

Joe Cannon, the 35-year-old goalkeeper who has been the face of the franchise, wonders out loud how much more time he has if the club doesn't start winning. It was 8-13-9 in 2008 and slipped to 7-14-9 last year.

Photo: Mike Stobe, Getty Images For NY Red Bull

Image 1of/1

Caption

Close

Image 1 of 1

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - MAY 08: Joe Cannon #1 of the San Jose Earthquakes plays the ball against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands on May 8, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Red Bulls defeat the Earthquakes 4-1 (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images for New York Red Bull) less

EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ - MAY 08: Joe Cannon #1 of the San Jose Earthquakes plays the ball against the New York Red Bulls at Giants Stadium in the Meadowlands on May 8, 2009 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Red ... more

Photo: Mike Stobe, Getty Images For NY Red Bull

After two seasons, Quakes aim for playoffs

1 / 1

Back to Gallery

"To be honest, it takes its toll," he said. "If the team is not going well, there's no reason to extend a career for the sake of playing games. I want to win just as bad as I've ever wanted to in my career."

There will be some new faces when the Quakes open the season against defending MLS champion Real Salt Lake at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara on Saturday at 6 p.m., although the team's most interesting newcomer probably won't be on hand.

Brazilian forward Eduardo, who played most recently for FC Basel in Switzerland, is expected to add scoring punch and setup skill. But his MLS debut probably won't come until April 10 in Chicago because of visa problems and a nagging hip injury.

Speedy Joey Gjertsen, a former USL player, adds depth to the midfield corps, and former Wake Forest star Ike Opara, the third overall pick in this year's draft, could step in immediately on the back line.

"We're better defensively," Yallop said. "There will be games where we concede goals because that's the nature of the game. But in general we're going to be harder to break down and harder to beat."

English midfielder Darren Huckerby, a dazzling threat in 2008 before being hampered by injuries in '09, has retired. Young midfielder Shea Salinas was lost in the expansion draft to Philadelphia. In a way, the departures might help the defense, according to General Manager John Doyle.

He indicated that Huckerby and Salinas weren't defensive stalwarts. Huckerby played more like a third forward on the left side, which gave Salinas and others who played on the right the same idea, he said.

"All of a sudden we had four forwards," Doyle said. "That created huge gaps on the sides, and the two center midfielders couldn't cover that ground."

Forwards Ryan Johnson (11 goals) and Cornell Glen became an effective combination toward the end of last season. But there are questions, mostly about the midfield. Can Arturo Alvarez overcome his frustrating inconsistency? Can Bobby Convey justify his big contract after a disappointing 2009? How will Ramiro Corrales adjust after being moved from midfield to left back?

Another question: When will that 18,000-seat stadium near the San Jose airport be built? It's supposed to be ready for the 2013 season, but given the economic climate, who knows?

Like the rest of MLS, the Quakes breathed a sigh of relief when a five-year collective bargaining agreement was reached last weekend, ending the threat of a strike.

Now maybe the Quakes can strike payday. For inspiration, they need look no further than their first opponent. Real Salt Lake made the playoffs last year with just an 11-12-7 record - and won the MLS Cup.